This invention relates to toothed edging for rollers and carrying segments of textile machines, such as combing machines, drawing and processing rollers for open-end-devices and similar machines as they are used for combing or processing fibers such as wool, cotton or synthetic fibers.
Such devices are usually provided in various fashions with toothed card wire which is wound in helically fashion upon a cylindrical basic body. In a first known arrangement, the windings immediately abut each other so that the breadth of the foot of the card wire determines the axial distance of the neighboring teeth from each other. The card wire is usually glued to the base body. In order to gain a segment, the cylindrical base body, prepared in this manner, is divided in an axial direction together with the card wire. It is also known to press the saw tooth wire into a groove which is formed in the circumferential plane of the roller in a helical manner. In another known arrangement, the saw tooth wire is directly wound upon the cylindrical surface area of a processing cylinder in a helical line and wherein neighboring windings abut or are arranged at distances from each other. In such an arrangement the saw tooth wire may also be, like in the groove fastening, held to the roller by glue. Frequently, the beginning and the end of the saw tooth wire are clamped into a recessed part of the groove.
Known arrangements of this kind begin with tooth rows of a helical shape. Thus consecutive teeth do not follow each other in radial planes as would be desirable considering the desired effect of the process. In any case this helical shape diminshes considerably the freedom of construction.
The fact that the saw tooth material is delivered as a wire prevents hardening of the teeth along their whole height because hardening could cause breaking of the wire. It is obvious that such a method leads to shortened life of the saw tooth material.
This known arrangement results furthermore in the problem that even limited damage to the saw tooth material of a carrier segment or a roller, respectively requires renewal or replacement of the whole saw tooth element. Refitting must be done in shops especially equipped for this purpose because special tools are needed for replacing with a new saw tooth wire material. This again requires an excessively large storage of replacement parts besides the increased costs.
An object of the present invention is to overcome these and other disadvantages of known prior art devices and to provide a saw tooth arrangement for carrier segments and rollers of textile machines of the above-mentioned kind which has improved properties of use, increased life expectancy, and lower costs. According to the present invention, the tooth elements consist of tooth segments, outwardly circularly shaped and having an internal abutting surface towards the roller or carrier segment, respectively as well as at least one axially extending recess for accepting a support element which is disposed parallel to the axis and which passes through the side-by-side arranged tooth segments to connect these segments and which is fastened to the roller or segment.
According to this arrangement, the tooth edging consists of a plurality of individual elements, which are connected to each other and which are fastened to the carrier segment or roller by means of the same connecting means. It is particularly advantageous to manufacture the tooth segments out of sheet metal stampings. The structure of the tooth surface according to the invention has also the advantage that individual tooth segments may be hardened all the way through, because they are not deformed during trimming as was the saw tooth wire in known prior art arrangements. This increases the life expectancy considerably and stoppages of machinery is prevented which was heretofore required to effect replacement of the tooth wires. Such an improvement is of great value as regards cost saving in the production process. In case of damage to any part of the toothed edging, individual parts are easily exchanged for new ones.
It is within the framework of the present invention that the tooth segments extend over a maximum angle of 180.degree.. They are easily set from outside upon the carrier segment or the roller and fastened thereupon. According to one embodiment, the tooth segments may be formed annularly and slid upon a roller body in an axial direction. According to the circumstances, one or the other embodiment may be 90.degree. or 60.degree. or any other sizes which may find practical use. For various uses, the radial inside bearing surface of the tooth segments may be formed in the shape of a circular arc. This is used with an analogously shaped acceptance surface on the rollers or carrier segments. It is of course also possible to flatten these abutting planes. The manufacture of the tooth segments as punched parts is extremely simple, so that they may be adapted without any difficulties to the individual shape of the abutting surface of the roller or carrier segment.
Each individual tooth segment may be received or fitted into the grooves when parallel grooves are formed in the abutting surface of the roller or carrier segment. In such a case, there is no fixing needed like for instance a clamping of the foot of the segment. In contradistinction to known prior art arrangements, the mounting in the grooves according to the present invention is needed only in order to determine the planes of the individual tooth segments and their distances from each other. Fastening of the individual tooth elements is effected by one or several holding elements. This has the advantage that the grooves will not be damaged.
The grooves formed in the abutting surface of the roller or the carrier segment may be arranged helically. Also the grooves may be arranged side-by-side in circular or radial planes of the roller of the carrier segment. This construction is only possible when using tooth segments according to the invention, because the use of a known prior art saw tooth wire requires that it be wound on the roller in one piece, thereby requiring a helical groove.
The tooth segments may be arranged abuttingly on a roller or carrier segment which is not provided with grooves. In such a case, the width of the tooth foot determines the axial distance of the teeth from each other. An alternative arrangement of the invention provides for at least one spacer between each tooth segment, and the radial height of the spacer corresponds to the height of the foot of the tooth segment. In this arrangement, the axial distance of one foot from the other one is determined by the breadth of the foot and the thickness of the spacer. This arrangement allows a great number of variations as regards the distances of the tooth rows from each other.
According to one embodiment, it is particularly advantageous to use a pin or rod as a holding or anchoring element and to anchor it in opposite cheeks or flange of the roller or carrier segment. The recess accepting the pin or rod into the tooth segments has a cross section corresponding to the cross section of the pin or rod. Instead of a pin or rod connection, it is possible, according to the invention, that the holder rod consists of a dovetail profile fastened along the generatrix of the roller or carrier segment or a similar part, and the tooth segments are pushed in an axial direction upon the dovetailed part. In such a case, the tooth segments are provided with a recess analogous to the dovetailed part, the recess beginning at the foot of the tooth segments. In a given case, the roller or carrier segment may be provided with a stationary cheek or flange and a cheek or flange to be fastened after the fastening of the tooth segments.
Other features which are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described in relationship to specific embodiments, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.